The Demon's Triangle
by Yumesuta
Summary: My second fic. Vincent goes back to Midgar one year after Sephiroth's defeat to see the others. But he soon finds himself the target of affection for two women...YuffiexVincentxTifa.
1. Rainy Nights

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy…I never will, either.

Note: This is either going to be Yuffentine or VincentxTifa, I haven't figured it out yet, but tell me what you think! For now I think I'll make it TifaxVincentxYuffie. Most chapters will be in Vincent's POV. But of course I'll tell you who's POV it'll be in )

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Chapter 1: Rainy Nights (in Vincent's POV)

Crimson eyes set in a pale face with longish ebon hair stare back at me as I look into the mirror. I was checking for changes on myself; but no changes were there. I felt the same, I looked the same, and frankly, I acted the same. That was the way I wanted to be, as well--the same. Change was for people who lived among other people—but solitude is my way. I don't care much for other people.

Sure, Cloud and the others caught my interest. I never thought that someone like Strife would be able to defeat the great Sephiroth.

I never thought anyone would be able to defeat my son…

But Sephiroth was dead, and he never knew that I was his father. He thought Hojo was. He thought Jenova was his mother. But no, I am his father and Lucrecia was his mother.

I'd never admit my affairs with that traitorous woman…

I tried to stop her from giving herself to Hojo. But she was so wrapped up in science, in her work, that she didn't listen to me. And how did that bastard Hojo thank her? He killed her. He killed the only person I ever knew how to love.

But then, did I really love Lucrecia?

It was a bit of an accident that she became pregnant—in fact, I still am not sure that I am the biological father. That woman insisted I was, though…but now, she's dead. And I hate to admit it, but I don't care that she's dead.

She didn't really love me, anyway.

I sighed again, and rechecked my reflection in the mirror. Even after thirty years, I still looked like I was 27. I am supposed to look 58, since that is my true age. But, Hojo forced cruel experiments on me, and I'm cursed with this immortality.

Unless, of course, you kill me.

I did not, do not, and will not fear death. It is my fate, everyone's fate, after all. In fact, I'm convinced that there is no true point to our existence. The Planet probably hates human beings, after we overpopulated it, polluted it, and ruined almost every aspect of it. The sad thing is, most of us do not regret it.

I don't. The Planet will eventually find away to take life away from me.

Done with my train of thoughts for now, I took my line of vision away from the mirror. I wasn't gazing at it—I don't gaze at myself. I don't gaze at failures. I don't gaze at what is worthless.

I gaze at nothing.

The hallway echoes hauntingly with my footsteps as I walk through the halls of the Nibelheim mansion, my abandoned home. It was dusty, dark, and lonely—the way I wanted it to be. Solitude, isolation, loneliness—call it what you will, but I call it paradise.

It must have been at least a year since Sephiroth was defeated. I haven't kept in touch with any of the others very much. They call me sometimes, but I never call them. The person I see most frequently is Cloud, since he moved back to Nibelheim, but he never enters my mansion and I never enter his home. That's the way I want it to be. I'm afraid, I must admit, as well. If I let someone inside, then there would be no room for my demons, and they will be released.

And…there's one person I don't want to see get hurt…

Cloud can take care of himself and, though this may seem cruel, I don't really care if my demons hurt him. He'll live.

There's something about Tifa that makes me believe that she'd be able to fend off the demons. But, though I hate to admit it, I don't particularly want my demons to injure her. She doesn't need their darkness; she needs to keep her sweet embrace on the light.

Aeris is…dead. My demons are not going to get her in the Lifestream. I can't say I miss her but I can't say I'm glad she's dead. She was certainly a cheerful one, which was a nice change from the angsty mood of most of the others. She was pure. But Sephiroth can demolish purity like a wrecking ball can demolish an already dilapidated building…which he did.

Yuffie can take care of herself…she has enough stolen Materia to fend for herself. Again, I don't quite want her to get hurt. But I doubt my demons will go after her, anyway. She's not evil, but she isn't pure enough to attract or repel darkness.

Cait Sith isn't my friend. I don't care about him, since he is with the Shinra. If my demons found him, he would just run away like the coward I know he is…

Barret can definitely fend for himself.

RedXIII, or Nanaki as some call him, is a very intelligent…whatever species he is. He can outsmart my demons, perhaps. But my demons don't go after non-humans so he is safe anyway. That's good. He was one of the few people I formed an even slight friendship with.

Cid isn't anywhere near pure enough for my demons to want to find him. Even if they did, he'd be able to fend for himself, most likely.

…I hope the Shinra people rot in hell. I don't care if it's my demons that get them, but I don't want them to live.

And then, there's me. I was too weak to defend myself from the demons, and now they reside deep inside my soul. I can always feel them there, burning, making me think and desire things I would not ordinarily think or desire. That is part of the reason I purposely isolate myself from others. I don't want to destroy lives. I know how much it hurts.

But now that I thought about the others, I couldn't help but think about them more. Where were they? Should I go drop by and see how they're doing? They wouldn't expect it, though, and they might expect me to be more social more often.

But if one of them called me, asking if I would like to visit, then I might accept the offer.

As if my PHS read my mind, it rang then, breaking my concentration, causing my current thoughts to evaporate like water in the hottest desert. The echo rang in the dusty basement hall louder than my footsteps had, startling a few mice that were scampering along the floor.

I pulled the PHS out of the pocket of my black pants and reluctantly answered it. "Hello?"

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Yumesuta: Well, that's the first chapter! I promise that it'll get more exciting. Please review! 


	2. Just A Little Journey

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

Note: Thanks to my reviewers! You all get candy! Oh, and HUGS!

Chapter 2: A Little Traveling Won't Hurt (Vincent's POV)

"Hi, Vincent, this is Tifa," a familiar, soft voice said over my PHS.

"…Hello, Tifa," I responded dully. There WOULD have been a hint of cheerfulness in my voice, if only Hojo hadn't taken away my ability to feel emotions.

"You sound like you always do," the brunette bartender giggled, and there was a silence. Then: "Oh! Right, I almost forgot. Um, listen, some of us from the group decided to have a little get-together…you know, to see everyone again. Would you be interested in coming? It's in my new Seventh Heaven, if you want to come…"

"Alright," I replied, my tone nonchalant.

"Really? You'll come?" Tifa squeaked, then attempted to regain her composure. "I mean, great! I'll tell the others!"

"Alright," I said again. "I…" I wanted to say, "I'm looking forward to it," but somehow, I couldn't. "I'll see you then, I guess, and everyone else as well," I said instead.

Tifa's voice was smiling. "I'm looking forward to seeing you there! Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Um, it's sort of spread out for a long period of time…You see, when you arrive, that's just the first day…it's spread out for a week. Of course you can just come and go again if you like," she finished hurriedly.

"I shall see if can manage to stay the whole time. I can't make any promises, however," I responded, wishing some sort of glad emotion would echo in my voice. But nothing came.

Tifa's voice wasn't smiling. It was grinning. "Great! I really look forward to seeing you again, Vincent! Along with everyone else, of course," she said, trying to suppress giggles.

"So when does it start?" I asked.

"It starts when everyone gets here and lasts for a week after that…hopefully, everyone will get there on the same day," the dark-haired woman explained.

"Alright, I'll leave to come soon, then."

"Great! See you soon!"

That said, I hung up and put the PHS back into the right pocket of my black pants and readjusted my bloodred cape. A vague thought that I should fix the tears on the lower half of the red fabric crossed my mind, but I ignored it. The rips gave me another touch to my already intimidating appearance, along with my clawed hand, crimson eyes and the fact that I usually kept my Death Penalty hanging off of my belt at the side.

On my travels with Cloud and the others, I became used to kids taking one look at me and then run away.

My footsteps echoed in the hallway once more as I continued through the mansion to the basement again. I entered the coffin room, my footsteps slightly muffled on the dirt floor. Rummaging the supply boxes around my coffin and then opening the lid to check inside, I gathered what I would need to satisfy my gold Chocobo, whom I named Lariat. It wasn't mine—at least, not in the matter of breeding and raising. It was a spare that Cloud had, after he became obsessed with Chocobos somewhere near the end of our adventure. I never thought that Lariat would really come in handy, but now, he would.

I walked out to the front yard and untied the rope that bound my Chocobo to the gate and mounted him. I didn't pay much attention—he seemed to know his way to Midgar already.

The hellish town hadn't changed at all since I was last there. Everything was still dark and polluted. I found my way to the new Sector Seven, and Tifa's new bar. It was oddly clean, but still as polluted as the rest of the slums.

I could see that quite a few people were already there. I dismounted Lariat, who I knew would probably escape.

I walked up the dusty wooden steps, across the porch and knocked on the door.

Yumesuta: That's the second chapter! Like it? Review! Please!


	3. The Beginning of the Party

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

Note: I'm really sorry about the long delay everyone! I wish I had a good excuse…Also, I apologize for any OOC-ness in this chapter. It's just I haven't played the game in a while.

Second Note: The job I gave Cloud in this chapter isn't his actual job, it's just something I thought he'd be good at after the game until Advent Children.

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Chapter 3: The Beginning of the Party (Vincent's POV)

The door creaked open shortly after I knocked, and Tifa smiled when she saw me.

"You DID come!" she said, grinning even more as I nodded.

"I decided to give this…'social' thing everyone always talks about a try," I said, wishing the demons hadn't taken all of the emotion out of my voice.

"Well, we're all glad," the brunette said, stepping aside to let me in.

I was in my ordinary black outfit with a red cape and headband, but Tifa was wearing something new. She had on a black T-shirt, and a slightly ruffled black skirt that was longer on the sides and in the back than it was in the front. (A/N: If you know what Tifa wears in Advent Children, that's her outfit!)

"You look nice," I said out of politeness, though it was true—I _did_ think she looked nice.

"Thanks," Tifa giggled.

"So…who's here?"

"Red and Yuffie are here, and Cloud called a few minutes ago saying he wouldn't be much longer," she said, making a lazy gesture to the back room, which is where I assumed Red and Yuffie were.

"I see—"

"VINNIE!" I was interrupted by a familiar shriek. Before I could even blink, I looked down to find that Yuffie had flung her arms around my waste.

Tifa suppressed a giggle. "I'll go check on Red now," she said, leaving the room.

I looked down at the spunky teenager. She hadn't changed much. She looked to be a bit taller, but other than that she wore the same clothes, minus the arm shield, and had the same hair.

"YOU'RE HERE!" she shrieked again.

"…Yes I am. Please let go, you're cutting off my air supply, Yuffie," I said. I wanted to say something else or at least vaguely hug her back, but Chaos wouldn't let me. I could hear him laughing at my inability somewhere deep in my mind.

"Sorry," Yuffie giggled, letting go to step back a few feet and stare at me. "So how have ya been, Vinnie?"

"Please don't call me Vinnie…I've been as I always have been," I said.

"So, you've been the cold badass we all know and don't hate?" the black-haired young girl teased, grinning.

My lip twitched. Chaos wouldn't let me smile, though I wanted to. "You could say that…"

Yuffie giggled, swinging her arms slightly. "Thought so! I'm gonna go back to Red. Hey, you wanna come too? We're trying to find something that isn't a rerun on TV!"

I shrugged. "Why not," I muttered, following the spunky thief into the back room. Red raised his head, looking at me with his good eye.

"Hey, Vincent," he growled, wagging his tail once.

"Red," I greeted back, finding a seat next to him. Yuffie went to sit by Tifa, who kept glancing at the door anxiously. Red snorted.

"You know, Tifa, I think that if the others arrived and wanted to come in, they'd knock on the door and call you," he said, wagging his tail once again.

Tifa sighed. "I know. I'm just anxious. That's all," she said with a smile.

After a while, everyone else that wasn't there (with the exception of Aeris, who we all know was unable to come even if she wanted to) arrived, and Tifa gradually became less anxious. She smiled, talking to everyone. No one truly attempted to talk to me, but that was something I was used to. Most people seemed surprised that I had even bothered to arrive, but they weren't against it, either. That was a good thing—it meant I wasn't hated by anyone, at least not that they let on, not that I could sense.

After a while, the brunette bartender passed out drinks. Cid and Barret wouldn't stop taking them, unlike Cloud, who only took one when he was offered a drink. I wondered if he still loved Tifa, or actually ever did. They _would_ make a good couple, I suppose. Would I be jealous? Yuffie seemed to be clinging onto me, and I didn't feel any desire to push her away. If that was so, why would I be jealous?

"So Vincent," Cloud said after a while. I almost jumped, having not even realized he was sitting near me.

I looked at the blonde leader, acknowledging that I heard him say my name.

"Er…what've you been doing since Sephiroth was defeated?" he asked. I could tell he was only trying to make conversation.

I shrugged. "Not much," I said, staring into the cup of some alcoholic beverage I hadn't even touched (except for the glass containing it), watching the liquid swirl in slow motion.

"You still in Nibelheim?" he asked, taking a chug of his drink.

I nodded. "What about you?"

Cloud shrugged. "I've been around Midgar, teaching some of the people how to fight," he said, taking another drink, then set his glass down with a soft _thud_. "Just the basics, since the Shinra people still haven't cleaned up the monsters roaming around the abandoned sectors. You get tired of seeing dead people, especially young dead people, who've been killed by one of them, and you're especially tired of it when you know they probably didn't know how to defend themselves."

"Hmm," I said, shrugging. "Sounds like an interesting job."

"It's okay. Better than no job, right? …No offense."

"None taken. I have no interest in a job anyway—" I felt someone staring at me and turned my head to see Yuffie giving me the stare I felt. "What?" I demanded in a not soft, but not harsh, voice.

"I've never heard you talk so much," she said in a giggly voice, her cheeks almost as red as my eyes.

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Yumesuta: Whoo! Finally, I got the third chapter done! I hope you all like it…review, please in the name of Final Fantasy VII REVIEW! I take suggestions as well! 


	4. Drunk Yuffie Isn’t Fun

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, its characters, or its fictional world. I just use it to make stories so that people can be happy.

Note: Sorry if any of the characters are OOC, I try to make them in character for this fic but sometimes I just slip…oh well. I'm only a middle schooler, so I'm not a very experienced fic author.

Second Note: Dialogue that is COMPLETELY in _italics_ is conversation between Vincent and Chaos. Normal conversation looks like normal conversation.

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Chapter 4: Drunk Yuffie Isn't Fun (Vincent's POV)

Light from the sun burns my eyes.

I was lucky that Tifa let me have my own room, and very grateful of the young woman for that. But bedrooms have windows, and windows give you a view of the outside, and the outside world has the sun, a menacingly bright yellow orb of fire that hangs mercilessly in the cerulean backdrop of the sky.

The beams of light from that evil sphere were running evilly across my closed eyelids. I groaned and opened them, the light stinging my crimson irises even more. Sighing, I sat up and slid off of the bed, straightening the blankets carefully as to not accidentally rip holes in the soft materials with my clawed hand.

I couldn't remember the last time I slept in an actual bed and not a coffin. It must have been before even my days as a Turk…even when I traveled the world with Cloud, when we stayed in the inns, I never actually slept. I would always lay there silently with my eyes closed, fully aware of the passing hours as my wounds from countless battles against monsters healed. Chaos would keep me awake, telling me how useless I was, telling me that I had failed in everything.

But tonight, he let me sleep. The price I had to pay was nightmares that magnified the pain of Hojo's experiments and Lucretia's death. There was also one nightmare more terrible than that. Chaos had taken me over, possessed me, and went on a rampage. I—well, it was him, but I would blame myself—slaughtered everyone I knew in painful, gory ways, except for Tifa and Yuffie. However, my worst demon had something…"special" to do to them.

That nightmare hurt me the most. The ones with Hojo and Lucretia weren't all that bad, because the events in reality had already taken place. But the last one, when Chaos took over, had not ever actually happened—thank whatever the great deity is—but could happen, and all I would be able to do is sit in the corner of my mind, watching, helplessly unable to stop. If a person was not my enemy, I did not want to hurt them. Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Red and the others were not my enemies. I admit to being somewhat fond of them. Therefore, I did not want them hurt in any way, shape, or form, much less killed.

The hallway did not have evil rays of light, so I decided to go walk around the rest of the bar.

No one else seemed to be awake yet, which made sense. Everyone, including me, stayed up quite late the previous night. I wondered if I was the only one awake.

"Good morning, Vincent."

I looked up, not realizing that I had made it to the main bar room.

"Good morning, Tifa," I muttered.

"Breakfast isn't ready yet, but would you like something to drink?" she offered, smiling.

I was envious of her ability to convey emotions. "No thanks. Need any help?" I asked, ignoring the perverted suggestions and dirty remarks Chaos was making about Tifa.

The brunette woman shook her head. "No, everything's under control. Besides, you're a guest."

"It doesn't seem fair for the hostess of so many guests to do all the work," I remarked, me voice—curse that voice—empty of all emotions, even though I tried.

Tifa giggled and shook her head. "You're such a sweetie, Vincent," she said, putting a pan of food in the oven. "You really don't need to help. I own a bar! I can handle doing a lot of cooking and the like."

"Consider it a break," I said, nearing the counter. "At least let me help set up the plates."

The brunette woman, still smiling a small smile, sighed in mock defeat.

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Yuffie was the next person to come into the bar room. "Hiya Tifa, hi Vincent," she said, hyper as she always was. She was so hyper that I sometimes wondered if she was normal. But I knew she wasn't. No one in the group was normal. Normal people don't kill silver-haired gods to save planets unless they played a video game with that plot line.

But what video game producer could ever dream up such a plot?

The black-haired teenager ran up to the counter and sat down, talking to Tifa.

"_If you won't listen to me about the older one, what about her? She's a cutie and I know you think so—it's written right here, in your mind. Come on, you worthless moron, just listen to me. No girl deserves to die as a virgin, after all, eh?"_ Chaos whispered, his voice full of malice. I ignored him, but that didn't make him shut up.

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The group talked to each other while they ate. Occasionally, someone would say something to me and I would mutter back a reply, staring at my drink. I didn't eat breakfast—I didn't need to eat food, and I was never hungry for food. Chaos took that need away from me…at least there was one usefulness about having a demon live in your soul.

I glanced over at Yuffie. She seemed to be acting a bit odd—then I noticed what she was drinking. Alcohol. It was only wine, which was weaker than other alcoholic drinks, but she was underage.

Cloud noticed, too. "Tif, she allowed to have that?"

Tifa shrugged. "The age allowance for Midgar is sixteen and up so, yeah."

I stared at my drink for a few more minutes then decided that I had to go use the bathroom. "Be right back," I muttered, and Tifa nodded.

My trip to the bathroom was uneventful, as expected. But really, how would a trip to the bathroom be exciting at all? I washed my hands and such, then went into the hallway and accidentally bumped into something.

I looked down. "Sorry, Yuffie," I said, my voice, as usual, void of emotions.

She giggled. I could tell she was drunk. "It's okay Vinnie," she said, giggling almost hysterically, wobbling unsteadily as she stood up and took a step towards me.

"…Are you okay?" I asked.

"Never better," the teenager said in the same giggly, hysteric voice.

"_Oh come on, don't pass this up! I mean, she'll wake up with a killer hangover and not even remember that you banged the lights out of her!"_ Chaos said with an evil grin. I ignored him, then noticed that Yuffie was close to me. Very close. There wasn't even an inch between us. She frowned and put one hand against the wall, leaning against it for support. Then she looked at me, the drunk, goofy grin reappearing on her face.

"Vinnie," she giggled, then passed out. I caught her, examining her unconscious face. Chaos was screaming at me but I didn't want to let him have his pleasure. However, it was hard to keep him from taking over.

"_Shut up, Chaos,"_ I shouted silently.

"_You know you want to. For both of them,"_ he growled back, malice in his voice.

"Er…Vincent?" I looked away from Yuffie and saw Tifa standing in the other end of the hallway, one eyebrow raised. "Something wrong?"

"No. She drank too much and passed out," I said calmly.

"Ouch. Poor thing. She's going to wake up with a killer hangover…" The brown haired woman sighed. "Here, let me take her to her room."

I handed the sleeping teenager to Tifa, Chaos screaming at me. Tifa took Yuffie and went to one of the bedrooms, then came back out, looking at me.

"So, you coming back to the bar?" she asked, as though nothing was wrong.

I nodded and followed her.

"_I hate you, Chaos."_

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Yumesuta: Well, that's that! What'd you think? Review! Please! 


	5. Do We Have A Deal?

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. In fact, I own nothing that was made in Japan…

Note: Okay. No fluff…yet. I promise, soon…I'm having trouble deciding whether to make Vincent choose Yuffie or Tifa…but when I do I'll add a little fluff between them! If anyone's OOC in this chapter, I apologize.

Second Note: Dialogue completely in _Italics_ is between Chaos and Vincent. Normal dialogue is normal dialogue.

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Chapter 5: Do We Have A Deal? (Vincent's POV)

"_Chaos, I need to talk to you,"_ I said, laying on my back in the bed Tifa had lent to me. It was a dark night, and silent—just the way I loved it.

"_Fine. What is it, Vincent?"_ Chaos snapped. I saw him looking at me in my mind.

"_Why do you insist on making me so miserable?"_ I asked.

"_Simple! I'm a demon—a creature of destruction, mortal. I do what I can to make you miserable. As you know, I'm not a pervert—but I act like one to make you miserable!"_ he explained. His voice was dripping with malevolent superiority.

"_Why, though? That didn't answer my question!"_ I sighed, and attempted to close my eyes and sleep, but Chaos decided that he wanted to talk.

"_All right, I'll tell you, mortal. It's because I respect you. Yes, hard to believe, is it not? But I do. You can resist my attempts to control you, and that signifies that you are stronger than I first thought you were—that is worthy of at least a little respect. But I do not like you, don't get me wrong,"_ the demon explained, sneering his last sentence.

"_I respect you too, Chaos, but I don't like you either,"_ I replied. Even the voice I had in my mind was dull and void of emotion. _"But I don't want you to control me."_

"_Is that so? Hmm…"_ The demon pondered, I watched him. His head was down somewhat, eyes narrowed on concentration. I watched. I had never seen him this deep in thought before.

"_Planning something?"_ I asked.

"_You know that I will NEVER give up my grasp on your mind, right?" _he sneered.

"_I gave up hoping long ago, Chaos,"_ I admitted, knowing he knew I was defeated.

"_But, I am a spawn of the devil—that is what many people believe demons are. It's not far from the truth, either. But we love making deals…did you know that?"_ Chaos actually had a somewhat fatherly tone in his voice. I was surprised.

"_No,"_ I said. _"Why, are you planning on making a deal?"_

"_Why, yes, Vincent! I am! Would you like to hear it?"_ The odd tone of voice he had signaled that whatever he was planning was dangerous. I wanted to hear it, though, to see for myself.

"_Why not?"_ I mused.

"_Good boy, Vincent. You've just earned a bit more of my respect…well; I would like to make a deal with you. Three days before this party ends—that would be the day after tomorrow, I believe, as we are going into the third day of the party—I will let you have full control of yourself and you may do whatever you wish without my barriers. BUT! The day before the party ends, I will take COMPLETE control of you, meaning I will become you. Each will last for twenty-four hours. What do you think?"_ he asked, his tone dangerous.

But twenty-four hours of freedom…! I could do anything…

"_It's a deal,"_ I announced, and in my mind, we shook hands. But then I remembered—the nightmare! Chaos had taken control of me in my nightmare. Was that what he was planning? _"No!"_ I shouted, but it was too late. He had already marked it in his calendar, which he followed strictly. The purple demon cackled.

"_Oh, Vincent, you're so weak…that loses you a respect point, my dear man. But I do not want you to be TOO miserable…I promise that for my deal I will not kill any of your friends…however, I cannot promise that they will not get hurt,"_ Chaos taunted. His low, demonic voice just oozed malice.

"_Just don't kill them,"_ I muttered before the demon turned my consciousness off and sent me to my nightmare world of sleep.

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Yumesuta: Well that's that! I'm sorry it was a short chapter but that's all I wanted to get through in this one…the next one will be longer! I promise. Well, anyway, REVIEW! …Please! 


	6. One Day Before Freedom

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, its characters, or the places in the game. I just borrow them for fanfiction use…

Note: As usual, I apologize for any OOC-ness. I try, but sometimes we just slip. Also this chapter slides between two people's POV's, but I marked them so you wouldn't get confused. If you skip those lines, though, don't worry, they're two VERY different people!

Second Note: I thought your suggestions were pretty good so thanks for giving me the advice! You know who you are!

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Chapter 6: One Day Before Freedom (Yuffie's POV)

I always thought Vincent was kinda weird, but today he was acting even MORE weird.

He kept checking the clock, acting all anxious-like as if somethin' was gonna happen some time. It's so cute, the way his hair falls over his face somewhat when he turns his head quickly…sigh…

Anyways!

I first noticed he was actin' kinda weird when I came into the bar room. Shockingly I was the third person up—Tifa and Vincent were there. I like Tifa enough. She's nice. But, I like her even more when she isn't talkin' to Vincent…

Mr. Red-Eyed Man was sitting at the counter in all of his glory and hottness—err, I mean quietness—staring at his food as usual. The dude never ate. Weird. You'd think he'd be all anorexic-like or something but he's not. Any normal person would be, but Vincent's not. He's not a normal person, though.

How could a normal person be so damn hott?

Uh. Anyway. He kept glancing at the clock, and, as surprising as it was, he _fidgeted._ He never does that! How do you know I know what he does? My business! Get out of it!

My first instinct was to ask him what was wrong but I was still kinda embarrassed about my drunken-ness the other night, and either way he doesn't really talk back that much when you speak to him. But, me being me, I decided to give it a try…

"Hiya!" I said cheerfully as I sat down on a stool next to him.

He nodded but didn't say anything, then glanced at the clock again.

"Uh, something wrong?" I asked.

"…Is it tomorrow yet?" he muttered vaguely.

"No, it's today, why?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Well—" His eyes narrowed and he looked like he had a bad headache. "Nothing," he muttered.

"Oh…kay then," I shrugged. "Something going on tomorrow?"

"…You could say that," Vincent muttered, and did something else shocking: he took a bite of food.

I nearly fainted from the shock of it all…well, not really.

"Well what is it!" I asked eagerly.

"…I can't say."

"Come onnnnnnn, yes you can!" I said.

Vinnie-sama sighed. "No. I can't. Please stop asking." He looked at Tifa, then me, and exited the room.

"What's his problem?" I asked, leaning my head on my hand.

"Who knows?" Tifa shrugged. "Can I get you anything, Yuffie?"

"Erm…pancakes!"

"Okay, just a sec," the brunette karate person said. She sounded like she owned a restaurant or something when she spoke.

Oh…wait…I guess she does.

* * *

Vincent's POV

That Yuffie. She never leaves anyone alone. She's always asking questions, always trying to get closer to you…

"_Why did you make me leave the room, Chaos?" _I demanded, washing my hand and claws in the cold water of the bathroom sink.

"_Because you wanted to stay! Don't worry, though, TOMORROW you get your freedom, starting at midnight tonight, mortal,"_ Chaos said, chuckling and evil chuckle.

"_Can't you make today go any faster?"_ I growled.

"_Nope, it's going at normal speed! But be careful what you ask, Vincent, for after tomorrow comes my twenty-four hour dictatorship over you,"_ the demon warned.

"_You're already a dictator, Chaos,"_ I argued.

My punishment for my contradiction was an extremely painful headache.

"_Maybe so, mortal, but that day I shall reign supreme over your body and mind!"_ he snarled.

"_Where will I be?"_ I asked.

"_You, my 'friend', will be sitting in the corner of your mind, completely unable to control yourself,"_ Chaos said, cackling.

I sighed. _"I just want to smile again,"_ I muttered.

"Oh, Vincent," Chaos sighed. "You're pathetic…"

* * *

Yumesuta: Ack! Short chapter! Grr. I wanted it to be longer. Oh well, I'll make the next two chapters longer, hopefully. Um, so, anyway, REVIEW PLEASE! 


	7. 24 Hours of Freedom

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII, its characters, and the places in it aren't mine. They belong to Squaresoft, which is now Square-Enix. Trust me. I could NEVER make a game as cool as that.

Note: Vincent will be sort of OOC in this chapter, just a warning. If any of the other characters are, I'm sowwie…When you get done reading this chapter, review, please, review…! I even love the anonymous ones. Also sorry for the delay…writer's block is EVIL!

Special Note: The one Vincent chooses (Yuffie or Tifa) will be revealed in this chapter! The other one, Cloud gets! Actually, Cloud gets one of the two first! (No, it will NOT be yaoi.) Confused? Just…read then! THERE'S FLUFF! Also sorry if you don't like the couple but I wasn't sure which ones to pick, so I randomly chose names out of an old coffee cup like a raffle…well you don't care about that! You care about the fic! ON WITH THE FIC!

Other Note: This chapter is another chapter that switches between POV's.

* * *

Chapter 7: 24 Hours of Freedom (Vincent's POV)

When I woke up that morning, I knew that Chaos had kept his promise for the deal. How did I know this? Well, first of all, I woke up, without having any nightmares. Second of all, after I woke up I stretched my arms—something else Chaos never let me do. I also felt hungry.

But how did I know Chaos wasn't just fooling me?

I sat up on the edge of the bed, then stood up, walked over to the mirror, and…

…Smiled.

If I could smile, then I knew for sure that Chaos wasn't controlling me anymore. I could probably laugh, as well, so I chuckled, just to see. I had forgotten how deep my laugh was.

The sun came in harshly through the window, but it didn't hurt as much as it did before. When I first looked into the light, I cringed, but my eyes got used to it, unlike when that purple demon still controlled my mind.

"I wonder if the others will think I'm insane?" I muttered to myself. "Oh well…I'll at least tell one person, and they can tell everyone else if they feel like it…"

I pondered over who to tell. I wouldn't tell Cait Sith anything, and Cid and Barret were too…much like themselves to be able to tell them anything. Cloud was trustworthy but I don't think he wants to be bothered by anyone else's problems. The remaining choices were Red, Yuffie, and Tifa. I could tell Red. He was the closest thing I had to an actual friend. Yuffie might not understand it, though, and even if she did I didn't want to scare her. I didn't want to scare Tifa either, but when "I" began to behave strangely tomorrow, she at least deserved to know why, being the hostess and all. So, I'd tell Red and Tifa.

That decided, I left my room and went into the main bar room. As usual, Tifa was there…as well as Red AND Yuffie.

Coincidences happen…

"Hi Vincent," Tifa said in her usual cheerful voice. "Hungry?"

"Actually, yes," I said. Yuffie faked a gasp. I ignored her.

"Okay," the brunette woman said. "What would you like?"

"Er…doesn't matter?" I shrugged.

Tifa nodded and went back to the kitchen. Red turned to look at me with his good eye.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You're not acting like you normally do."

"I know," I replied with a shrug. "I'm acting how I want to…" Then I told him about my deal with Chaos.

"…So, today you're _you _you, tomorrow you're not you and then after that you're how you normally are?" the red creature summarized.

"That's pretty much it."

"I see…are you sure that was such a good idea?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Chaos assured me he wouldn't kill anyone. I can always leave early," I said.

"True, but then what if Chaos comes back?"

I paused to think. "Well…then he comes back. There are seven of you and one of him. I'm pretty sure you can defend yourselves against one demon. He's not as strong as Sephiroth was."

"…If we kill him, wouldn't that kill you?" Red asked, shaking his head.

"I doubt it. He'd want to avoid the pain, so he'd crawl back into my mind and things would be normal again," I explained.

"B-but what if we keep attacking you?"

I turned my head. I hadn't realized that Yuffie was listening as well. That made me smack my head with my natural hand.

"You won't," I growled. "Why are you worrying so much, anyway?"

"We can't help it," Tifa said as she handed me my breakfast.

"Well that was easy," I muttered before I began to eat.

"Huh?" Yuffie asked, obviously confused.

"Now I don't have to explain it several times…"

* * *

For whatever reason, the others almost seemed to be avoiding me more than usual. True, it didn't matter much, and the odd glances I received let me know that they knew. It sort of made me realize how weak my mind could be without Chaos there to control it—and then I regretted my realization. Whatever the reason may be, I actually _enjoyed_ the regret…it was self-inflicted and not caused by Chaos whispering recounts of my failures to me.

The only two people not treating me odd were Red and Tifa—I hoped Yuffie wouldn't treat me differently, but then, she always acts in strange, suspicious ways.

Even without Chaos, I wasn't much more social. I could speak to people more freely, but I'd always been a quiet person. I didn't start any conversations and my love of people didn't increase at all. So naturally, I wouldn't typically enjoy going to a place with a lot of people…though I'm always dragged along anyway…

"Tifa!" Yuffie practically shrieked, walking up to the martial arts master in an almost bouncy manner—as usual.

"Yeah?" the woman asked from behind the counter, leaving Cloud to go talk to the teenage ninja thief.

"Uh…I forgot," Yuffie muttered.

Tifa rolled her eyes and turned back to talk to Cloud.

"Wait! I remembered!" the teenage ninja announced.

The brunette bartender turned back around to face Yuffie. "Yes?"

"When are we leaving?"

"We're leaving in about…ten minutes," Tifa said.

"Huh?" I muttered.

Tifa looked at me. "Wait, I didn't tell you?"

I shook my head.

The martial artist slapped her forehead. "Ack! So forgetful! I wasn't planning on making you all stay HERE for the entire visit so we're going to the Gold Saucer…"

"Uh."

_Great,_ I thought.  
"Of course, you could just stay here if you want—"

"I'll go," I said. "I…don't mind."

Tifa smiled.

* * *

"Damn! It's &#$ noisy here," Cid muttered upon arrival, after Tifa bought the tickets.

"Isn't it always, though?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Sorry, sir, this is a non-smoking place," the ticket seller told Cid when he walked past.

"&)&!" the pilot growled, throwing his cigar in the metal can the ticket lady held out for him.

"Please enjoy your stay," she said in an almost robotic tone.

I looked around the brightly colored room. I still didn't like the place much more than I did with Chaos, but it wasn't torture.

"You don't have to pick a partner, since we aren't kids," Tifa started, "but you can if you want to. Also you don't have to come back to the bar at a certain time, just whenever you feel like it since we're all not traveling on the same vehicle most likely…"

Cid didn't want to lend his Highwind airship to Tifa, since he claimed it was broken. Conveniently, in the last year the new government (which is unfortunately still Shinra people) established an airship service, taking people from their hometown to the Gold Saucer back to their hometown at the low, low price (snort) of 1,500 Gil.

And apparently most of the people didn't want to go around the place all by themselves. Cid went with Barret (they had become friends, being the only ones in the group to use profanity with almost every sentence), Red went with Cait Sith (since neither of them are human), and Cloud…

Tifa looked at Cloud with an obvious hurt in her eyes. He had paired up with Yuffie. (A/N: Cloud and Yuffie! Couple Number One!) They also appeared to be going out with each other—Cloud leaned in to give his teenager companion a quick kiss before they head off.

I glanced at Tifa, who was staring at the spot Cloud had indirectly rejected her in. "Are you alright, Tifa?" I asked softly.

She nodded, smiling weakly at me. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, shrugging. "So, wanna be my partner?"

_She sure recovers quickly,_ I thought. "Sure, but I have to be back at Seventh Heaven before midnight."

"That's okay, we have plenty of time!"

* * *

Tifa's POV

"Having fun, Vincent?" I giggled after stepping off of the park's new roller coaster.

The ebon-haired man raised one eyebrow. "Maybe. Is this what that feeling is? I had forgotten fun…"

"Aww. Poor Vincent," I teased.

"Or maybe I'm feeling something else," he said, trying to sound mysterious.

"Like what?" I asked, playing along.

"…It could be constipation."

I burst out laughing. Was he like this all the time when Chaos let him have control, or was he just trying to cheer me up? If the latter was the case, it was definitely working!

"So, Tifa, what next?" Vincent asked.

"Um…I dunno. You choose," I shrugged.

"No, you're the hostess. You choose."

"But I chose last time!"

Vincent sighed and stared at me, his crimson eyes unblinking, his face almost set in stone.

"I'm still not choosing," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "You can't make me!"

The black-haired man's expression hardened and he walked towards me slowly, almost like you might expect a killer or a zombie to in one of those horror movies—slowly and unceasing, with a cold gaze. It was definitely a bit creepy.

"EEP! Okay, okay, I'll choose," I giggled.

Vincent smirked. "I win. So where to?"

"Um, I dunno, wanna just go get something to eat?"

* * *

Vincent's POV

The hours I spent with Tifa seemed to go by fast, too fast. I almost didn't want to admit it, but I was having fun—I even told her. When I told her, she grinned and hugged me, her head only reaching up to my chest.

"Oh, Vincent, I am too," she had said.

Yes, I was having fun. But also, the thought that tomorrow Chaos would possess me and possibly wreak havoc—what would Tifa think then? Would she hate me or would I still be the man who went to the Gold Saucer with her when who she was probably hoping to go with went with someone else? I hated the fact that this would cross my mind without the cursed purple demon residing within my head, but I suppose I was worried because…I cared about her? I haven't cared about anyone for a long time…

"It's 11:25," I whispered. "We should probably be heading back…"

"Now? It only takes five minutes to get back to Midgar," Tifa protested.

"I know, but…we might have to wait for a ride back," I reasoned.

The brunette shrugged and made no further protests.

The ride back was quiet, but that odd, comfortable sort of quiet. We boarded the airship and took our seats, then took off. There weren't many other people on the airship and I liked the quiet. I couldn't help but think about what tomorrow might be like—though Tifa broke my train of thought, probably without even realizing it.

She placed her hand on top of mine—my right hand, my good hand—as she absently gazed out the window. I didn't do anything to stop her, but her touch made me feel…odd…

The ship landed in front of Midgar and we took the train back to Sector Seven. The train ride only lasted two minutes, and by the time we got back to the bar, it was 11:32.

"I'm sorry I made you leave early," I said softly as Tifa turned the light switch on in the main bar room.

"It's okay," she said with a small smile.

"You can go back if you want to," I persisted.

"What, don't you want me here?" she said jokingly. "And this may sound silly but, I want to be with you when Chaos…you know…"

"You'll only be hurting yourself," I muttered. "But if you really want to stay, you can, I suppose."

The brunette woman smiled. "I'll stay."

I smiled at her, just a small smile, but it made her still cheeks flush crimson in the dim light. The lightbulb suddenly went out, so the only light in the room was the light of the moon and stars shining in through the windows that Tifa had opened after the electric source of light gave up on her.

"Want me to fix that?" I muttered.

"I'll have to go buy more lightbulbs," she muttered back after drawing the blinds on the last window.

The room was dimly lit, but the lack of light created a peaceful mood. Tifa's skin was pale in the moonlight, which also reflected off of her eyes slightly.

I shook myself inwardly. _Snap out of it,_ I urged myself._ Don't you know by past experience that this will never work out? She deserves so much better…_

The silence between us grew large, and we didn't break eye contact.

"Vincent?" Tifa whispered.

I nodded, and didn't notice how close we were getting to each other until my hand and claw accidentally bumped her hands.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"It's okay…"

It was 11:49.

There was no space between us now, my shirt brushing against hers as we stood. My hands found their way around her waist and our lips found each other.

It was 11: 52.

A rush of blood surged throughout my body, fireworks exploding inside of my head. Tifa pressed herself against me and at the same time I pulled her closer, my claw remaining around her waist as my good hand slid up, finding its place around her shoulder. Her hands slid from their position on my chest up to around my shoulders, pulling my head closer to hers, her fingers running gently through my hair.

It was 11: 54.

I moaned slightly and nudged open her jaw, my tongue finding its way inside her mouth. Our tongues played gently with each other, our breathing became heavier, the kissing a bit harder. I nudged her tongue in a slightly forceful manner, caressing it with mine. I heard her moan softly and felt her shiver in delight.

It was 11: 59.

I cringed, my breathing becoming harder than our kissing alone made it. I pulled away abruptly, one hand on my pounding head, the other on my stomach. I crouched over, then fell to my knees.

"Vincent?" Tifa asked in panic. I looked into her eyes and saw pure concern.

"T-Tifa…I…"

Chaos would not let me say anything further. I receded into the back of my mind. My mind was like a room—my eyes were like windows in front of a control panel. Chaos pushed me out of control and took his seat. I could still see through the circular window, but I didn't want to see Tifa's fear as I fell onto my back.

"Vincent!"

Her voice echoed through my head vaguely, as if under water. I was no longer in control. Chaos turned around. "My turn," he hissed, and took total control.

The clock struck twelve.

Chaos opened my eyes, which had closed, and smirked at Tifa. "So, You're Tifa? I'm Chaos. Nice to meet you," he sneered.

* * *

Yumesuta: Whew! Long chapter! Well, what do you think? Please review! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Comments and suggestions are loved in reviews! 


	8. 24 Hours of Chaos

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and its characters aren't mine. I just use them for entertainment. The storyline belongs to me, though, kinda. I assure you that the broken lightbulb in the previous chapter are mine, however. (insert smiley face here) The random ticket lady wasn't mine, either. So yeah. I OWN NOTHING!

Note: Vincent won't be OOC in this chapter, because it's not Vincent, it's CHAOS! Muahaha! Technically we don't know if Chaos will be OOC or not because…he never speaks in the game…If any of the characters are OOC I apologize! (bows)

Second Note: About the last chapter, sorry to all Yuffentine lovers for making the fic VincentxTifa! I promise to make a Yuffentine in the future.

Third Note: The chapter switches between POV's again.

* * *

Chapter 8: 24 Hours of Chaos, literally (Tifa's POV)

Vincent—no, Chaos—stood up, still smirking. He was definitely a demon—you could see it in his crimson eyes. When Vincent was as he usually was, that look was there, but very well hidden. Besides, it was never Chaos, it was Vincent.

"Are you mute, madam?" Chaos asked, raising one eyebrow.

"N-no," I stuttered, shaking my head.

The demon chuckled. "But you're afraid. Of course you are, don't worry. Don't deny it. Mortals always fear me, because they know that I am a threat. But a promise is a promise—I won't kill you."

"Um…okay…"

"Aren't you going to fix that lightbulb?" he asked calmly.

"Lightbulb? Wha—oh yeah! Um yes but first I have to find a lightbulb…"

Eventually, I did and fixed the light. With the light on in the room, I felt less nervous for some reason. It was my bar, so I had memorized everything about it in my years here, but the darkness…it has the tendency to make you feel alone; to let your thoughts swallow you into a void you cannot get out of.

…Did I just say that? Hmm. It sounded more like something Vincent would say than me. Or maybe Cloud…where were the others, anyway? It was almost twelve-thirty and the park closed at one.

"Er…Chaos," I said, turning to face him.

"Yes, mortal?"

"I'm going to bed now. You should probably go back to your room as well, at least to think or whatever demons do at night if you don't sleep," I shrugged.

"Indeed I think I shall, mortal, just not at the moment," Chaos smirked. "And as the hostess, shouldn't you wait up for your guests? Have you no manners?"

I raised my eyebrows but couldn't say anything. I liked my blood well enough and didn't want to lose any.

* * *

Chaos's POV

Eventually, the other mortals returned to the bar. They were tired, a weakness that I, fortunately, do not possess. They returned to their temporary rooms, presumably to sleep, but demons did not need to sleep. I returned to my room anyway and lay on the bed that bartending mortal girl provided for Vincent. Once there, I couldn't help but laugh at the pathetic human. He was still inside his own mind, but could not control anything I did.

That fact made me sort of mad…the fact that he was still inside of himself somewhere, even though I had complete control. However the previous day, I was pushed out of his mind—I simply disappeared—and he had complete control. I suppose that is because you cannot push yourself out of yourself until you are dead but you can push an intruder out…if that makes any sense.

"Weakling," I hissed at him, and loved the fact that he couldn't answer. I decided to spend the night viewing all of the thoughts that passed through his mind when he was free of me…because they were the very ones he didn't want me to see.

Don't get me wrong. I do have respect for the man, but he is a weakling compared to me. (I do not have a large ego. Shush, mortal.) The only way to make a weakling stronger is to push them harder—by being hard on him, by taunting him, one day, he will become almost as strong as myself. Then I will be proud to call him my host.

I was surprised to find that his thoughts were mostly normal. It bored me somewhat but it was still worth seeing those thoughts. Even when I looked through his scenes with that Tifa girl, his thoughts were that of a normal human—what I loved, though, was that Vincent sat helplessly in the corner of his own mind, unable to stop me from seeing what he didn't want me to see. I never truly thought that kissing was that big of a deal, though…but then again, I am a demon. Even when someone dies, I do not think it is that big of a deal. Death happens and I am immune to sorrow. So, of course, these small matters didn't make me pleased unless it aggravated Vincent.

* * *

Tifa's POV

The morning came quickly, even though I was worried. I probably don't need to say it but I was worried about Vincent, even Chaos. They could take care of themselves but it was just my instinct to worry about someone I cared about…as long as Chaos was in the form of someone that I cared about, I'd care about him even if no one understood why.

My alarm clock went off, so I turned it off so the others wouldn't wake up. I did the usual morning routine—combed my hair, brushed my teeth, changed clothes, and took a quick shower—then went to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. I didn't hear anyone walk into the room, so I sort of freaked out when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Oh…hi, Chaos," I said, taking a deep breath. "Um, need anything?"

"Not really," he said.

"Um…I know you probably don't eat, but just in case, breakfast isn't ready yet," I said timidly.

"That's fine, and you're right…I don't eat," he smirked.

Chaos being in the room made me feel kinda uneasy, because I felt him staring at my back as I cooked. When I turned around to look at him, he just stared back silently. But after a while, the others woke up and came in, and I felt a little more comfortable.

It wasn't that I feared Chaos all that much. I just didn't know how different he was from Vincent, and, well, Chaos is a demon…not that I have anything against demons but they just have a chilling aura, I suppose.

"Tifa," Cloud said, sort of loudly.

I looked up. I hadn't realized before now that he'd said my name more than once.

"Oh! Uh…yeah, Cloud?" I asked.

"Are you okay, Tif? You seem sort of off today," he said, frowning slightly.

"No, I'm okay…"

"Are you mad at me?"

I looked at him, shocked. "No way! Why would I be?"

"Because of Yuffie, maybe," he muttered, shrugging.

"Ohh. Um…I don't care, I mean, you're still my friend and everything," I said.

"Alright. Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said somewhat harshly.

Cloud stared at me for a moment, then shrugged. "Whatever…"

I felt someone staring at me, and whirled around, saw Chaos staring, and glared. "Do you need something?"

He just smirked, and didn't look away.

* * *

Chaos's POV

I liked being able to move freely, and not just sit, trapped in Vincent's mind for a change. The hours were ticking by though, and as it got late, I admit to a feeling of worry and regret of not doing much in my one day of being in control. Tifa and I were now the only ones still awake—she was cleaning her bar, and I was just standing there. I regret what I did, but as a demon, not being able to feel warm blood on my hands when I'm in control of myself for twenty four hours was driving me insane. My hand twitched, the good one (even though it had grown claws when I had taken control), longing for the feel of blood.

I walked up to the counter.

* * *

Tifa's POV

"Hi, Chaos, need anything?" I asked, glancing at the clock. In only fifteen minutes, Vincent would be his normal self again.

The head demon just stood there, staring at me. There was an odd look in his eye, telling me he wanted something, but I didn't know what. "Chaos…?"

There was an odd gleam in his eye as I felt a sharp, wide pain in my upper arm. His claws dug into my flesh, puncturing the skin. I screamed slightly and attempted to wrench my arm away but that just resulted in more bloodshed.

"Chaos, stop!" I begged. He pulled his claws out of my arm, a twisted smile on his lips as he allowed my blood to trickle down his arm. He cupped his hand, the blood forming a small puddle in the palm of his hand. He raised it to his lips.

I took this opportunity to run away from the counter. The coat rack in the corner of the bar room had no coats on it, so I picked it up, ready to use it as a weapon if I needed to.

The minutes ticked by too slowly for me, but Chaos seemed content just feeling the warm blood in his hand. There was a small red stain in the corner of his mouth. With that pale skin and long black hair, he looked like a vampire. Then, suddenly, his smile disappeared and he fell over.

I wasn't sure why he fell over, but then I heard the clock. It was midnight. I sighed in relief.

* * *

Yumesuta: Well, that's the eighth chapter! It won't be much longer until the end now, but it'll be more than one chapter! REVIEW PLEASE! 


	9. Departure?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy games, characters, places, designs, music, plots, or anything else involved with the games. If I did…would I be writing some dumb stories that'd be forgotten in less than a year?

Note: The end of the story is nearing…

Second note: I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness.

Third note: Thanks to my reviewers!

Fourth note: Yes, the first note was correct, the end of the story is nearing. But you see I have to make a Yuffentine and I can't really work on three stories at once. Trust me. I tried…and failed.

* * *

Chapter 9: Departure? (Vincent's POV)

Even though she swore she didn't blame me at all, I apologized at least one hundred times for what Chaos did. I cleaned and bandaged her arm, then washed the bloodstains off of my arm and face. When I heard the long, even, somewhat hard breathing patterns that slumber usually brings, I knew Tifa had fallen asleep.

She looked so peaceful in sleep, and not the somewhat forced kind of calmness she displayed during the day. I smiled…even Chaos was smiling, probably content that he was able to take control.

"Good night," I muttered, and carried the sleeping bartender back to her room.

The night went by quickly—even though Chaos didn't let me sleep, he let me have my own thoughts, and for once he didn't taunt me at all. The morning came sooner than I realized.

But that blasted sun still hurt my eyes…

I stood up, then just looked at myself in the mirror for a moment. That was the only word I can find to describe it…I wasn't gazing, and I wasn't really staring.

As usual no one else was awake, except for Tifa and I. She greeted me with the usual "Good morning," that I had become used to. I'd miss that when I went back to the loneliness of the mansion in Nibelheim…

There was a moment of silence between us…Chaos was back where he normally was so I couldn't speak as freely as I could before.

"I'm sorry, Tifa," I said for at least the thousandth time since Chaos hurt her.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Vincent…it wasn't your fault. You weren't in control. I don't blame you, okay? So stop apologizing!" She smiled and went back to making breakfast, then paused. "By the way, do you…remember anything that happened the past two days?"

"All of it," I said, shrugging.

Tifa smiled, her cheeks slightly tinted with red. Then she continued making breakfast…

"Vincent?" she said softly, not turning to face me.

"Yes?" I muttered. Chaos decided not to let me have much emotion in my voice anymore.

"I'll miss you…you know, when you go back to Nibelheim…" She put the dish she was making in the oven to cook, then turned to face me. Her eyes looked like they were watering slightly.

"I'm not leaving right away though," I said.

"I know. But today everyone's leaving, and, I'll miss you…I'll miss everyone else too, yeah, but…I don't know, it's hard to explain," she said, walking up to her side of the counter right in front of me.

"Well, I'll miss you to. You can call me, if you want…I don't spend my days sleeping any more," I assured her, trying to smile though my lips wouldn't take that form.

"You're not gonna forget, are you?"

"Forget what?"

"You know…" She put her hands together awkwardly, looking down slightly.

I knew. I leaned forward slightly, gently pressing my lips against hers. "I won't forget," I said.

She smiled, then grinned, giggling. "Good…because if you do, I'll make you remember," she said, and gently pulled me back to her.

I heard someone giggle from the side, and pulled away. "Yuffie, stop spying," I growled.

The familiar black-haired ninja crawled out from under a chair—the kind of chair that, if you crawled under, you wouldn't be visible from the sides.

"But you're just so cute together!" she squeaked.

* * *

The hours ticked by faster than I wanted them to. Before I knew it, it was time for everyone to go…I was the last one left.

"Well…" Tifa shifted her feet. "Bye…"

"Tifa…you must get pretty lonely here," I observed. "I mean, the only guests you ever have are customers…"

"Yeah…but I get by," she said, smiling slightly.

"You…" I sighed. The words were in my mouth but they wouldn't come out.

"You can leave when you're ready," she said softly.

"Tifa…"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking…what if I just…stay?" I suggested.

Her eyes lit up. "Then that'd be great! But wouldn't the mansion miss you?"

"The only thing that was alive there was me, and the few monsters that had spawned there in my slumber. It won't miss me," I said.

Tifa grinned. "So…you're staying?" She looked up at me. "I mean you don't have to but, you know, if you wanted to you could…"

I nodded. "I…think I'll stay," I said. "And, uh, one other thing…"

* * *

Yumesuta: Short, crummy chapter ending in a cliffhanger! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Well, review please! 


	10. I'm Staying

Disclaimer: It's not mine, how many times must I say it?

Note: This is probably the final chapter…I just don't know how to make it go longer! Sorry…no matter what you say, I may not continue this fic any further.

Second Note: Sorry about any OOC-ness.

Third note: Sorry if the chapter's short.

* * *

Chapter 10: I'm Staying (Vincent's POV)

"I'm glad you're staying," Tifa said for maybe the ten thousandth time that week. I didn't care, though, since the thought of someone actually wanting me to stay with them was a lot better than the thought of being solitary forever. It was a new thing I figured out, and I liked it.

"So am I," I replied, helping the bartender dry dishes. After one week with no business, Tifa opened the bar again. I was going to help her…of course, I wouldn't be serving any of the customers. Being around was fine with me, but even if I _wanted_ to work at the counter, some of the people might not really like my claw.

"So…how long?" she asked.

"Six months, maybe…I personally don't really want to drag everyone out here again right after they leave," I muttered.

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go take a break now—you can too, if you want," Tifa said, smiling, then left the bar area. I finished drying a few more dishes, then followed her back to the bedroom. You can extinguish those dirty thoughts, mortal. People DO talk in rooms, you know, without doing perverted things at the same time.

"So…" she said, sitting on the end of the bed, examining her engagement ring.

I sat down next to her. She didn't say anything. "So…?" I said.

She smiled, then looked at me, then looked back at her ring. "Nothing. I just couldn't think of anything else to say…"

"Mm," I mumbled, and put my arm around her.

She looked at me for a moment, silent. Then she touched my cape, the part covering my face. "Why do you always cover your face?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said, looking away slightly.

"Come on…take off the cape and headband. I want to see you," she said.

"…No, thanks," I mumbled.

Tifa sighed, then smiled. "Okay, but at our wedding you're not covering your face, okay?" she said.

"Fine," I replied, Chaos allowing me to smile.

"…It's almost hard to believe," she said, leaning her head against my shoulder.

I didn't say anything back, since there didn't seem to be anything to say. We just sat there, smiling.

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Yumesuta: Okay, okay, okay, OKAY, I apologize ten million times for the short chapter…writer's block is SOOOOO evil. Ugh. Since this chapter was so short I might (keyword: MIGHT) add another chapter…although I think the ending was a sufficient ending. Oh well. REVIEW! 


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